Safety device for projectiles



June 18, 1946. P, HELD 1 2,402,276

SAFETY DEVICE FOR PROJECTILES Filed July 22, 1942 /&

awe/whom I Paige/Z HFZLEM Patented June 18, 1946 Patrick H. Field,Washington, D. 6., .assignor to Margaret KinslerLiebert,'vllashington, DJ).

Application July 22, 1942," Serial No, 1,924

This invention relatesito projectiles and more particularly to a safety dyicejfor the type of projectile shown in Figures? to 10 inclusive in the drawing of m'yjcopendingiapplication for U. S, Letters Patent filed Oct. 22, 1941', and Serial Number 416,116.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of means for preventing accidental detonation of the projectile, should the firing pin thereof be accidentally engaged during handling of the projectile, said means being of the destructible type, so that when the firing pin strikes a target said means will be shattered freeing the pin for the actuation of the detonator of the projectile.

With these and other objects in view, as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which;

Figure 1 is a side elevation. illustrating the exterior of a projectile set forth in my co-pending application above mentioned.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, illustrating the projectile equipped with a safety means constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, illustrating a modified form of the present invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates the body of the projectile and 6 the jacket therefor. The bod is provided with a bore arranged axially thereof and which opens outwardly through both the rear or butt end of the projectile and the forward or nose end. The bore is of different diameters and has different portions screw threaded as shown at 1, 8 and 9. The rear end of the bore is normally closed by a removable closure plug II] which threads into a portion of the bore. The purpose of the closure plug I0 is to permit loading of the bore. The different diameters of the bore provide internal shoulders and between a pair of the shoulders an explosive H is arranged, having packing washers l2 and i3 in engagement therewith. The packing washer l2 seats against one of the shoulders and is provided with a flame opening I4 to permit the explosion of a detonator to reach the ex plosiv H, The washer I 3 abutts one end of an elongated filler plug 16 threaded in the bore with 2 Claims. (01. 102-56) theother end thereofabutting the closure plug 10.; "The latter "namedend of-the plug l6 has so kets-t receives-tool for facilitating the threading of the plug l6 into-thebore.

detonatordli is supported by a sleeve I"! threaded in the bore with one end abutting-the packing washer l 2 and; its opposite end freely receives the rear end portionof a firing pin la.

The latter is slidable in the forward portion of I the bore and has its front end portion protruding a limited distance beyond the nose of the body for contact with a target so that on engagement with the target, the impact will drive said pin l8 against the detonator for the actuation thereof. Arranged between the forward end of the sleeve I1 and one of the internal shoulders is a safety washer IQ of the destructible type apertured to receive the firing pin, the latter having a shoulder abutting said safety washer so that its sliding movement in the direction of the detonator will be checked until the firing pin receives an impact sufiicient to destroy the safety washer. On the destruction of the safety washer the firing pin then strikes the detonator to bring about actuation thereof. It will be seen that the safety washer will prevent the firing pin from actuating the detonator under normal handling of the projectile which permits handling of the projectile with a maximum amount of safety. However the safety washer will in no Way interfere with the actuation of the detonator on the firing pin striking a target owing to the safety washer being only able to withstand a determined force before shattering.

Referring to my modified form of safety device shown in Figure 3 of the drawing, a safety pin 20 is employed in lieu of the safety washer. In

.this instance the firing pin I8 is provided with an opening to receive the safety pin, the opposite ends of said pin are mounted in, openings provided in the body at opposite sides of the bore. The pin 20 is capable of holdingthe firing pin against movement until the firing pin receives an impact force sufiicient to shear the pin, whence the firing pin is free to strike the detonator by said force.

ing, for instance twenty-five, fifty or one hundred pounds of force for the breaking of either.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be under- The safety washer and safety pin may be made to have variable strengths, requir- Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. A projectile comprising a unit body with an axial bore having sections of different diameters, the constricted end of the bore being at the forward end of the body, a firing pin movabiy mounted in the constricted forward end of the bore body a part of the pin protruding beyond the nose of the body, a detonator containing sleeve mount ed in the next adjacent section of the bore, the detonator being accessible for contact by the firing pin, a frangible washer interposed between the forward end of the sleeve and an intermediate part of the firing pin to permit the latter to move in contact with the detonator only after having sustained a predetermined impact, an explosive mounted in the bore directly behind the detonator sleeve, a washer at the forward end of the explosive providing communication with the bore of the detonator containing sleeve, a disc at the opposite end of the explosive, the disc being approximately midway the ends of the projectile body, and a filler plug mounted in the bore behind said disc and extending rearwardly therefrom to a point in proximity to the rear of the body.

2. A projectile comprising a unit body with an 4 axial bore of different diameters, a firing pin movably mounted in the forward end of the bore body, a part of the pin protruding beyond the nose of the body, a detonator containing sleeve mounted in the bore in operative proximity to the pin, a frangible washer interposed between the for- Ward end of the sleeve and an intermediate part of the firing pin to permit the latter to move into contact with the detonator only after having sustained a predetermined impact, an explosive mounted in the bore directly behind the detonator sleeve and accessible to the detonator, a washer mounted in the bore forward of the explosive provided with a fire opening communieating with the bore of the detonator containing sleeve, a disc mounted at the rear end of the explosive, a filler plug detachably mounted completely within said bore, the forward end thereof being contiguous to the rear face of the disc, the outer end of the plug terminating short of the rear end of the body bore and being provided with tool receiving recesses; and a closure plug also mounted within the confines of said body and engaged with the aft end of the filler plu across the tool receiving recesses of the latter.

PATRICK H. FIELD., 

